Kamishibai
/ˌkɑːmɪʃɪˈbaɪ/noun
A Japanese form of street theater in which a narrator tells stories while displaying illustrated paper panels.
Did you know?Kamishibai storytellers often attracted audiences by selling sweets, and the form later influenced modern manga and animation storytelling.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Middle Chinese
紙 (tsǝX)
“Paper; the source of Japanese kami through borrowing”
8th Century
Japanese
kami (紙)
“Paper, especially writing material”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
芝居 (shibai)
“Theater or dramatic performance; literally written with characters associated with grass and sitting”
Early 20th Century
Japanese
kamishibai (紙芝居)
“Literally “paper theater,” referring to illustrated story panels performed by a narrator”
1930s–1950s
Japanese
kamishibai
“A widespread street-performance medium in pre- and postwar Japan”
Modern English
English
kamishibai
“A Japanese picture-story theater or its distinctive illustrated panels”
Explore more surprising origins